Blowout preventers (BOPs) provide a variety of safety and sealing functions for a well as part of the drilling process. In land-based drilling, the BOPs are typically positioned below the drilling floor. A deck, commonly referred to as a “Texas deck,” can be provided adjacent to or around the BOPs, facilitating human access to the various components of the BOP. The deck is typically suspended or otherwise connected to the rig structure, e.g., the drill floor.
Recently, there has been a shift to movable or “walking” rigs that support pad drilling of several wells in a location. Such walking rigs can, for example, drill a well or a section of a well, and then move independently of external drivers to a different location and drill another well (or section). This is referred to as “pad drilling.”
The BOPs are typically moved when the rig moves. Moving the BOP generally includes disassembling the Texas deck, and then re-assembling the Texas deck once the BOP is positioned at the next well location. In applications where several (or dozens or more) wells may be drilled by walking the rig from one site to another on a pad, the rig-up time associated with disassembling and re-assembling the Texas deck can be substantial.